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This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars. For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list. Ketchikan is where folks go to see the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, with athletes wielding axes and saws in traditional lumbering activities.
The Best Cruises in Alaska
The 6 Best Cruises for Northern Lights Viewing - AFAR Media
The 6 Best Cruises for Northern Lights Viewing.
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The ship has an extensive children's program, high-quality entertainment, and such activities as water slides and play areas. If you want to spot herds of caribou, book an Alaska cruise that puts you in range of Denali National Park. And with salmon runs in full force, you can catch fishing bears in the southeast.
Best Alaska cruise lines
If adventure is what you crave on an Alaska cruise, you should seek out the small ships of UnCruise Adventures. All of the line's itineraries boast an active component, but its "Wild, Woolly and Wow" itinerary claims to be "the most active back country itinerary" of UnCruise's 2024 Alaska cruises. Royal Caribbean's 20-year-old ship Radiance of the Seas mainly sails weeklong, one-way cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, with prices below $100 per person, per night, for inside and outside cabins on many departures. The line will send six ships to Alaska in 2024, with tour offerings to Denali, Fairbanks and Anchorage. However, it's the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam that offers some of the most interesting cruise tour itineraries out there. You can also look for a last-minute Alaska cruise deal, though keep in mind that with Alaska's cruise season growing longer, interest in Alaska September cruises is rising.
The Top Things to Do Onboard Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruises
No matter where you choose to explore, your 14 days aboard an Alaska cruise will be filled with endless discovery and a newfound sense of wonder. The main cruise season in Alaska is May through September, though many cruise lines are adding shoulder season itineraries in April and October. The sunniest months are July and August and the best time for whale watching is May and June. That being said, traveling anytime during cruise season will offer epic views of landscape and wildlife, no matter where you travel. Silversea has “Door-to-Door” pricing on many of its Alaska cruises, meaning the cruise fare includes airfare, hotels, and all transfers—including transfers from home to the departure airport. Onboard the all-suite ships, there’s butler service in every suite, fine dining, and select shore excursions included.
Check out lines like Alaskan Dream Cruises, Lindblad and UnCruise Adventures, which focus on immersive nature and wildlife experiences. The vibe onboard these ships is also more personalized due to their limited capacity. We evaluated over a dozen Alaskan cruises before selecting the best in each category.
Night Alaska Northbound Glacier
Book a fishing trip to try your hand at catching salmon or halibut, or go out crab fishing for a glimpse into that type of work. Look to UnCruise Adventures, Alaskan Dream Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad Expeditions for the best adventure cruises. If you're eager to spot bald eagles in the wild, ride a dog sled atop an ice field or pan for gold after a hearty salmon feast, an Alaska cruise is calling your name. Dive into The Points Guy's Alaska cruise guide for all the planning tips you need for your dream cruise up north.
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska - Cruise Blog
The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska.
Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While excursions from the ship are the best way to get out and explore (it’s not as easy to stroll on your own atop a glacier, after all), some cruise lines are more invested in the state. Sailings include seven- to 14-day itineraries and a host of land tours that can be added to the experience. In addition to Denali National Park, this is the only cruise line to take passengers into Canada’s Yukon Territory. The fun continues the minute cruisers disembark in each port, with excursions ranging from dogsledding to private helicopter tours.
Best Value Alaska Cruise: Royal Caribbean, Radiance Of The Seas
Spend the first two days diving into Alaskan culture long before you arrive at the first port. Sit front row at an authentic axe-throwing competition hosted by Alaskan lumberjacks or experience the thrill of the gold rush with an authentic Klondike Festival full of animated dancers and live guitar performances. You might even feel like a true local by the time you arrive at your first destination. After a full day in the city of Juneau, you’ll head one of two directions. As one of the only cruise lines with access to Glacier Bay, enjoy untouched waters and snow-capped mountains from the comfort of your ship.
The 11 Best Cruise Ships For Alaska (According to Real Reviews)
An Alaska Inside Passage cruise typically lasts seven nights, embarking and returning to Seattle or Vancouver. Luxury cruises to Alaska on smaller ships can be a great option for those looking to pair remote wilderness with a bit of pampering. Your best high-end bets are Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar. In other words, Alaska can be one of the more affordable bucket-list destinations to reach by ship, especially when compared to other remote cruise destinations like Antarctica and the Galapagos. An Alaska cruise costs anywhere from $500 to $8,000 or more during high season. Cheaper fares can be usually found on mainstream lines like Royal Caribbean and NCL, while Cunard, Disney and Seabourn will be more expensive.
But if once-in-a-lifetime Alaska experiences like helicopter rides and flightseeing in Ketchikan are more your speed, you'll need to triple that amount -- or more. Due to unpredictable weather, though, there’s a risk of shore excursions being cancelled -- especially boat and helicopter tours. Wet weather aside, late summer months bring the best chances of seeing wildlife on expeditions.
Look to the traditional, all-inclusive luxury cruise lines that sail in Alaska during the summer months for these popular sailings. We suspect the lower starting prices for Holland America ships as compared to Carnival ships on Alaska sailings out of Seattle is because Alaska cruises from Seattle are round-trip voyages. Many Holland America fans who cruise to Alaska choose a one-way voyage to or from the state that lets them add extra days for touring in Alaska at the start or end of the voyage.
There are also lectures and professional guides to complete the experience. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. Whether you're a history buff or a nature nut, there are numerous bucket list destinations to experience while traveling on your Alaska cruise vacation. Ever wanted to go on an Alaska glacier tour to experience hiking in its open nature? Embark on a thrilling journey with young explorers through breathtaking landscapes.
Most sail along the Inside Passage, a maritime route along the state's southern coast (and into British Columbia and Washington state) that weaves around the area's thousand islands. Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road. The two-year-old Discovery Princess sails round trip to Alaska from Seattle, a convenient U.S. home port for families to fly or drive to. Its "North to Alaska" program will delight kids with sled dog puppies in the ship's Piazza, and lure their parents and grandparents with local seafood on restaurant menus and onboard cultural programming with Alaska residents.
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